What is a political party?
A political party is a group of people who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. They agree on some policies and programmes for the society with a view to promote the collective good.
Parties reflect fundamental political divisions in a society. They are about a part of the society and thus, involve partisanship. A party is known by which part it stands for, which policies it supports and whose interests it upholds.
A political party has three components: the leaders, the active members, and the followers. Basically, political parties fill political offices and exercise political power.
Explanation
This answer is based directly on the 'Meaning' section of the textbook which defines a political party. It covers the definition, the concept of partisanship, and the three components (leaders, active members, followers). The word count is approximately 100 words, suitable for a 3-mark question.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Define political party as a group contesting elections to hold power
Step 2: Explain that parties agree on policies for collective good
Step 3: Mention the three components: leaders, active members, followers